Presenters:
Zhiguo Ding, Nanyang Technology University, Singapore
Yuanwei Liu, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Abstract:
Due to the explosive growth in the number of wireless devices and diverse wireless services, next-generation wireless networks face unprecedented challenges caused by heterogeneous data traffic, massive connectivity, ultra-high bandwidth efficiency and ultra-low latency requirements. To address these challenges, flexible-antenna systems have been recognized as key enabling technologies of the sixth-generation (6G) wireless networks, as they can intelligently reconfigure users’ effective channel gains and hence significantly enhance their data transmission capabilities. However, the existing flexible-antenna systems have been developed to combat small-scale fading in non-line-of-sight (NLoS) conditions. As a result, they are lack of the capability to reconstruct strong line-of-sight (LoS) links which are typically 100 times stronger than NLoS links. Furthermore, the existing flexible-antenna systems exhibit restricted flexibility, where adding/removing an antenna is not straightforward. This tutorial focuses on an innovative flexible-antenna system recently demonstrated by NTT DOCOMO, termed the pinching antennas, which are realized by applying small dielectric particles on waveguides. The key idea of pinching-antenna systems (PASS) is to create strong LoS links by deploying pinching antennas close to users, and its flexibility for scaling up/down the antenna systems. To explore this groundbreaking technology, this tutorial will first introduce the basic physics and signal models for PASS. Then, the fundamental transmission architectures of PASS will be discussed with different numbers of waveguides and pinching antennas, where innovative ways to implement multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) are illustrated. Efficient pinching beamforming approaches will be further introduced using both convex optimization and machine learning methods. Moreover, promising 6G related applications of PASS, including non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), next-generation multiple access, etc, are illustrated. Finally, important directions for future research, such as waveguide deployment, channel estimation, etc, are highlighted.
Biographies:
Zhiguo Ding received his Ph.D degree in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College London in 2005. He is currently a Professor at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He holds a few visiting academic positions, including an Adjunct Professorship at Western University, Canada, a Distinguished Adjunct Professorship at Khalifa University, UAE, and an Academic Visitor position at Princeton University, US. Previously, he had worked at Queen's University Belfast, Imperial College, Newcastle University, Lancaster University, and the University of Manchester. Dr Ding' research interests are machine learning, B5G networks, cooperative and energy harvesting networks, and statistical signal processing. He is serving as an Area Editor for the IEEE OJ-COMS, an Editor for IEEE TVT and OJ-SP, and was an Editor for IEEE TCOM, IEEE WCL, IEEE CL and WCMC. He was the TPC Co-Chair for the 6th IET ICWMMN2015, Symposium Chair for ICNC 2016, and the 25th WOCC, and Co-Chair of WCNC-2013 Workshop on New Advances for Physical Layer Network Coding. He received the best paper award in IET Comm. Conf. on Wireless, Mobile and Computing 2009 and the International Conference on WCSP 2015, the EU Marie Curie Fellowship 2012-2014, IEEE TVT Top Editor 2017, 2018 IEEE Communication Society Heinrich Hertz Award, 2018 IEEE Vehicular Technology Society Jack Neubauer Memorial Award, and 2018 IEEE Signal Processing Society Best Signal Processing Letter Award. He is a Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher and a Fellow of the IEEE.
Yuanwei Liu has been a (tenured) full Professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) since September 2024. His research interests include non-orthogonal multiple access, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, near-field communications, integrated sensing and communications, and machine learning. He is a Fellow of the IEEE, a Fellow of AAIA, a Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher, an IEEE Communication Society Distinguished Lecturer, an IEEE Vehicular Technolog Society Distinguished Lecturer, and the rapporteur of ETSI Industry Specification Group on Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces on work item of “Multi-functional Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS): Modelling, Optimisation, and Operation”. He serves as the Co-Editor-in-Chief of IEEE ComSoc TC Newsletter, an Area Editor of IEEE Transactions on Communications and IEEE Communications Letters, an Editor of IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering, and IEEE Transactions on Cognitive Communications and Networking. He serves as the (leading) Guest Editor for Proceedings of the IEEE on Next Generation Multiple Access, IEEE JSAC on Next Generation Multiple Access, IEEE JSTSP on Intelligent Signal Processing and Learning for Next Generation Multiple Access, and IEEE Network on Next Generation Multiple Access for 6G. He serves as the Publicity Co-Chair for IEEE VTC 2019-Fall, the Panel Co- Chair for IEEE WCNC 2024, and the Symposium Co-Chair for several flagship conferences such as IEEE GLOBECOM, ICC and VTC. He serves as the academic Chair for the Next Generation Multiple Access Emerging Technology Initiative, vice chair of SPCC and Technical Committee on Cognitive Networks (TCCN).